Chapter 11
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.
AN: Thank you to all who have added to alerts, read, reviewed or any combination of the three. It means a lot to me.
AN2 SPOILERS FOR THE FINAL. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVENT SEEN.
OMG THAT WAS SOOO GOOD. Coulson is director of new shield! If He doesn't make May deputy director officolly next season then I'll be upset, I already consider her to be unofficially but I want it to be official. How awesome was the May/Ward fight seen? I think one of my favourite lines was 'you were never on top' FITZ'S HAS TO BE OKAY! I loved May and Skye working together and I want Tripp to be a regular next season.
END OF SPOILERS,
AN3: IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: So this is the last chapter of this story, but there will be a sequel. I could have continued in this story but I thought it fit better if there was a sequel you'll see why at the end of this chapter. The first chapter will be out Monday night, because I have several assignments due in the next couple of days which means I don't know how much time I have to write. Thank you for your support.
Five hours after they left the cemetery Skye, Melinda and Natasha arrive at Stark Tower. For the entire drive as she rides on the back of her Motorbike while holding onto her Mother Skye can't help but replay Peirce's words in her head and wonder if he's right.
As they all have access to the garage that's where they go and park the bikes before taking the elevator up to the private living floors. When they get there they find Tony and Pepper waiting.
"What the hell happened?" Tony asks when he sees them.
"Scotch first, then explanation." Natasha requests.
"Where is everyone else?" Pepper asks, "Are they alright?" She asks worried.
"Phil, Clint, Fitz, Simmons, Garrett and his specialist Tripp are at the Hub." Melinda informs them.
"Ward is Hydra." Skye adds.
"And Steve's gone of the Grid." Natasha adds.
"Is it true about Fury?" Tony asks then he comprehends what was actually said, "Wait, Ward is Hydra?" He says surprised as Natasha, Melinda, Skye and Pepper sit down and he gets everyone drinks.
"Yeah." Skye answers, "His sister is the adoptive daughter of the leader of Hydra and she moulded and manipulated him to be Hydra too." Skye explains.
"Where is he?" Tony asks angrily.
"Locked in the interrogation room on the plane which is at the Hub with the others." Natasha explains.
"I'm sorry Kiddo." Tony tells his niece as he knows how much Ward means to her.
"Thanks." Skye says accepting the drink that was handed to her and taking a large mouthful.
"And Fury, is he really dead?" Pepper asks.
"To the rest of the world yes, really, no." Natasha answers as when they had to stop on the way here Skye told Natasha and Melinda that they can and should tell Tony and Pepper everything.
"Why, does the rest of the world need to think that?" Tony asks curious, "Wouldn't it be a good thing at the moment if people were to know?"
"Not with Hydra out there." Natasha answers, "They need to believe that they killed Nick so that's what the world needs to believe." She explains.
"What can I do to help?" Tony asks.
"Maria will be contacting you in the next couple of days, you two need to start privatising what S.H.I.E.L.D was doing." Melinda tells him.
"What about you guys? What are you going to do?" He asks
"We'll let you know when we figure it out." Natasha tells him.
"What exactly happened?" Pepper asks, "We've been trying to put it together but all of S.H.I.E.L.D's secrets were realised online and it's a lot to go through."
"We know." Skye answers, "We did it."
"Why?" Tony asks.
"Because it was the only way to expose everything that Hydra has done." Natasha explains and then after exchanging a look with Melinda she looks directly at Tony, "We found something out about your parents."
"What?" Tony asks not sure if he wants the answer after everything else that he has found out in the last few minutes as Pepper reaches over and grabs his hand.
"Their death wasn't an accident." Natasha tells him, "Hydra killed them because they had established themselves in S.H.I.L.D since the beginning and your parents posed a threat to what they wanted, what we stopped from occurring so they were killed." Natasha explains, "I'm sorry Tony." She tells her friends.
Without a word Tony gets up and starts to hit one of the walls.
"Tony, Tony." Pepper says getting up and running over to him and putting her arm around him, "Enough, Tony." She tells him, "Enough." She repeats and Tony looks at Pepper and spends several minutes collecting himself before turning back to Melinda, Natasha and Skye,
"How do we stop them?" Tony asks.
"Peirce is dead and their other seriously leadership has been dealt a serious blow." Melinda reveals, "But Hydra has a saying, cut of one head and two more shall take its place, we haven't seen the last of them." She explains.
"Nick is in Europe doing what he can there, and Clint, Phil and Garrett are trying to secure remaining S.H.I.E.L.D facilities and finding other Hydra agents but they've got a couple of days at the most before the Government storms those facilities and take into custody anyone who is there." Natasha explains.
"Then they need to get out of there." Pepper comments worried.
"They will." Melinda answers, "They will get to a meeting place but first they are going to do what they can." She explains, "Tripp, who is Garrett's specialist is the grandson of Peggy Carter and a howling commando by the name of Gabe Jones, has all of his grandparent's old S.H.I.E.L.D tec, so we've got that to help with whatever it is that we do next." Melinda explains.
"And you've got me and all of my resources." Tony tells them.
"Thank you." Melinda tells his sincerely and the group drifts into silence.
"Why has Steve gone of the grid?" Pepper asks curious.
"He's told you stories about his childhood friend Bucky Barnes?" Natasha asks.
"Of course." Tony answers, "Steve's best friend. The only Howling Commando to die in the line of duty, what about him?"
"He didn't die." Natasha revels, "He was found by Hydra and whatever experiments Zola did on him before Steve rescued him, allowed him to survive. Hydra brainwashed him, made him forget everything including who he is, he has spent the last seventy years in and out of Cryo." She explains, "Steve is gone to find him, and help."
"He'll get himself killed in the process." Tony says surprised, "Were is he? I've got to help the idiot."
"He was in a cemetery in DC five hours ago, but he's gone by now, and you won't be able to talk him out of it." Melinda tells him.
"I don't plan to talk him out of it because I know it's impossible, I just plan to help." Tony answers.
"You can't help him until he is back in the country." Skye tells her Uncle, "He needs to do this alone, but he'll be okay."
"Are you sure?" Tony asks.
"Positive." Skye answers,
"May Coulson you have just woken up after being in a coma for three days, do you think now is the best time to use your powers? No matter how good the reason is." Melinda tells says her daughter as she does she realises her concern may have come off as disapproval, "Sorry I'm just worried about you." She adds.
"You were in a coma for three days?" Pepper says worried.
"Yeah, what with being on the run from Hydra, saving my life and finding out what I needed to know I kind of over did it with the power use." Skye explains.
"Not to mention saving me." Natasha comments still feeling guilty for that because it was Skye using her power to save her that caused her to collapse.
"But I'm fine now." Skye assures everyone, "Promise."
"Sounds like you've got quite the interesting story to tell." Tony comments.
"It's a long one." Melinda tells him.
"Well I guess it's a good thing that you're staying then, because you've got the time." Tony tells them.
"Tony while we would really love to stay we can't." Melinda tells him.
"Why not?" Pepper asks.
"It's too dangerous, we've got Hydra and quite a few other organizations looking for us. We will be putting both us and you in danger if we stay." Natasha tells him and Skye can't help but think about how much danger she is putting every single person that she cares about just by being around them.
"That is exactly why you should stay." Pepper tells them.
"Pepper's right, like always." Tony tells them, "This is one of the safest places there is and no one, not even Hydra can get into here without my say so. You're safe here." He tells them and Melinda and Natasha exchange looks.
"Okay, we'll stay for a few days, but then we've got to go meet Clint, Phil, Garrett and the others." Natasha tells him.
"Get them to come here, you've already got rooms, and I really wouldn't mind, in fact I insist." Tony tell them.
"We can't tell them that over the phone." Melinda tells him, "We'll go meet them as planed and then we might come back here." She says.
"Not might, you will." Pepper tells them and Melinda and Natasha both can't help but get small grins on their faces as not even they can say no to Pepper once she's decided something.
"Good, now that that's decided, it's story time." Tony says and together Melinda, Natasha and Skye begin to tell the story of what they have been doing for the last week.
Ward manages to get about an hours sleep before he is woken by his sister to get ready for the mission. He and Grace along with seven Hydra agents get into one of his sisters planes before making the hour long trip to the Fridge.
Due to the fact that there are Hydra agents working at the Fridge who have managed to hide their identities the group have been able to get in without a problem and Grace leads them directly to weapons where they begin to steal what they want.
"Grant, where are you going?" Grace asks her brother when she notices that her brother isn't staying in the room.
"I've got unfinished business." Grant comments.
"No you don't." Grace tells him, "We need Quinn and Hand, they will be incredibly useful to us." She tells him.
"They will never help Hydra." Grant tells her sister, "They may hate S.H.I.E.L.D but they will never help Hydra, not even to get their revenge on the Coulson's which is what they want more than anything." Grant tells his sister, "I can get you everything you want to know about what they did and that's the best you're going to get because they will never help. Let me have my revenge Grace." Ward requests.
"This is important to you isn't it?" Grace asks her brother.
"You taught me that when someone hurts someone you care about you don't let them get away with it, you make them pay. They hurt people I care about." Grant tells his sister hoping that she will understand why he has to do this.
"You can get all their research?" Grace asks.
"Yes." Ward responds.
"Then go get your revenge." Grace tells Ward
"Thank you." Ward respond and he walks away and down to both Quinn and Hand's cell where he puts a bullet into each of their heads before they realise what is going on.
After Natasha, Skye, and Melinda filled Tony and Pepper in on exactly what has been going on for the last week the group had dinner together before having a few more drinks and heading to their respective rooms to clean up and head to sleep. All through dinner and drinks Skye couldn't help replaying Peirce's words over and over again in her head and even though she doesn't want him to be she realises that she is right, that she is a danger to everyone she cares about.
So instead of going to sleep Skye sits up in the bed and waits until it is late enough so that while everyone might not be asleep they will be out of the main living areas. Once she is sure that time has come and being glad that she does actually have some clothes here Skye puts on her mission tank top and pants because with what she is going to do wearing a tank top and pants that are pretty much bullet proof can only be a good thing, and a long sleave flannel top and a leather jacket. She puts her mission outfit jacket in the bag she is planning on taking but decides to leave the boots behind. Along with the jacket she folds down her bow and places that and her quiver into the bag along with the money that she took from Natasha's storage locker that she has left, along with some extra clothes and some other bits and pieces. One she has put everything in the bag Skye walks over to the bed side table and picks up the photo of the entire family from Christmas, knowing that she wants to take it with her as a reminder of why she is doing what she is doing so she takes the picture out of the frame, folds it in half and puts it in her pocket,
"Jarvis are you up?" Skye asks.
"Of course Ma'am." Jarvis responds.
"How many times have I told you, don't call me ma'am." Skye tells the artificial intelligence.
"I'm sorry Miss Coulson." Jarvis responds.
"Good enough." Skye says with a small smile, "I need you to tell everyone something tomorrow or later today technically, once they wake when they are all together, or once they realises I'm gone, can you do that for me?"
"Of course." Jarvis says and unknown to Skye he starts recording what she is saying so that it can be played back.
"Tell then that I'm sorry and that I love them, but I have to do this." Skye says, "Peirce was right, I'm a danger to everyone who is around me because people will never stop looking for me and they will use whoever they have to get to me just because of my power and I won't let that happen. I'm not going to let them get hurt just because of what I can do." Skye says, "Just tell them that Jarvis." Skye requests.
"Are you sure you want to do this ma'am?" Jarvis asks.
"Want to, no." Skye answers, "But I have to, it's the only way I've got to protect the one's I love." Skye says as she picks up her bag from the bed an swings it onto her back, "See ya Jarvis." Skye responds and she leaves the room and heads downstairs.
Once she is out of the tower Skye stops on the pavement and turns back around to face the tower, as she does she realises that in that tower is everything she's always wanted, a family, people who love her and are proud and she's walking away from that. As hard as it is to go she realises if she stays and something happens to them because of her then she will never forgive herself, so with one last look she turns and walks to the edge of the pavement, and calls,
"Taxi."
And within a minute a taxi pulls up and as she gets in she fights the urge to turn back around and go back inside, but because she knows that she can't that it's too big of a risk she just gives the driver the address and allows herself to be taken away from the one thing that she has wanted more than anything for her whole life.
Skye gets the taxi to take her to a storage locker in Brooklyn, but unlike the other storage lockers she has visited in recent history this one doesn't belong to her Aunt, it belongs to Ward.
"Sorry Grant, but I need it more than you do at the moment." Skye says and after using her power to make sure no one was killed for the money she collects quite a lot of it and puts it into her bag along with a kit to make fake id's because she knows that as soon as they realises that she I gone Tony will try and track her so it's better off not leaving an electronic trail.
Once she puts the money and the ID kit in her bag Skye looks around to see if there is anything else she needs, she decides not to take a weapon because she has her bow and her power and they will be enough. She is almost positive that she has what she needs when she spots something, which is just what she needs to make everything easier.
"Perfect." Skye says when she walks over to the black road motorbike on the other side of the locker, "Yeah, I'm so borrowing this." Skye comments and going the opposite way to the way she came in Skye leaves the storage locker on the bike with her bag on her back.
The following morning, Pepper, Melinda and Natasha wake and head to the kitchen. Tony who never slept at all leaves his lab and heads to the kitchen when he assumes that everyone else would be awake.
"No sign of Skye yet?" Tony asks the others.
"Nope." Melinda answers, "She could still be sleeping thanks to the exhaustion that using so much of her powers caused her."
"Jarvis, is she still asleep?" Tony asks as they all got up for breakfast later than usual so Skye would normally have joined them by now.
"No Sir." Jarvis answers.
"Then where is she?" Melinda asks concerned.
"She left at precisely one thirty two this morning." Jarvis responds.
"What?' Melinda, Natasha, Pepper and Tony say surprised.
"Where did she go?" Natasha asks.
"Why did she go?" Melinda asks.
"She asked me to inform you of this." Jarvis says as he plays the recording.
"Where can I find this Peirce to kick his ass?" Tony asks angrily once the recording has finished playing.
"He's dead, Fury killed him." Melinda answers.
"Jarvis pull up outside security feeds from last night on my computer, we're going to find her." Tony says as he walks over to his computer.
"We'll find her, you know we will." Natasha tells her best friend.
"Not if she doesn't want to be found, we won't." Melinda tells her friend and they along with Pepper walk over to Tony's computer in hopes that they will get lucky and they will find Skye before she makes herself disappear.
It has been two days since Skye walked away from her family to protect them and in that time she has driven Ward's stolen bike to Austin Texas as there is something that she needs to do before she leaves the county. Once she arrives in Austin she uses her powers to make sure it will be safe to do so then once she is sure that it is she parks the bike and heads into the cemetery where Miles is buried.
"Hey." Skye says kneeling down in front of the grave stone that she realises her father picked out, "I'm sorry I haven't been here sooner, but you know me, I don't do too well with death." Skye comments, "I'm sorry Miles, you're dead because of me because Quinn wanted me and he used Lard to do it. I'm sorry, you deserved better." Skye tells the grave hoping that somehow Miles could hear her, "What Agent Lumley told my parents was right, death follows me wherever I go, but I promise you Miles that I will not let anyone else die because of me." Skye says, "I wanted to come say goodbye before I go, and tell you that I'm sorry." Skye says standing up, "Bye Miles." Skye says placing her hand on the top of Miles's grave before walking away. As she does she knows that it is time for the next part of her plan which is changing her appearance, the only reason why she hasn't done that yet is because he knew that it is possible that eventually someone will think to check whether she has been to Miles's grave and she doesn't want to be seen their looking different.
After she leave the cemetery she drives several blocks to a hair salon that she used to go to but due to the fact that she was very good when it came to erasing her past before she went to LA to meet Mike, what feels like a lifetime ago, she doubts that anyone will be able to put together the connection.
Parking her bike around back Skye enters through the back door because she knows the owner won't mind
"Skye." A girl who looks to be a little younger than her says happily when she sees her and she gives her a hug, "Long time no see."
"Yeah, I know. You know me, always moving around." Skye responds.
"Sit down." The woman tells Skye, "What can I do for you today?"
"A cut, and a colour." Skye requests as she sits down.
"Sure, what colour are you thinking?"
"Black, with dark red streaks." Skye says taking inspiration from the two stronger people she knows as at the moment that's what she needs, to be strong.
"Sure I can do that. Length?" the woman asks.
"Shoulder length and layers." Skye requests as it is the length that is easy to get out of her way if needed, "Gabby, if anyone comes looking for me, no matter who they say they are can you not tell them that you've seen me?" Skye asks her old friend.
"Are you in trouble?" Gabby asks concerned.
"No, I just don't want to be found." Skye responds telling partly the truth but also partly a lie.
"Sure, I won't tell." Gabby responds.
"Thank you." Skye says sincerely as she leans back in the chair.
At the tower Tony, Pepper, Melinda and Natasha have been doing everything they can to find Skye but so far they haven't had much luck.
"Have you found anything?" Coulson asks walking into the room with Clint, Garrett, Tripp, Fitz and Simmons as as soon as Melinda, Natasha, Tony and Pepper found out that Skye was gone they called Coulson and once they found out that the US Government was coming to the Hub they flew to New York.
"No, there is no sign of her." Tony answers.
"What do we know?" Garrett asks as Clint and Coulson great their respective partners.
"She caught a taxi form here to Brooklyn, we don't know where she went from there." Tony explains, "I'm guessing that she is using her powers to stay hidden." Tony tells the others, "Did the military take control of the Hub?" He asks as Maria mentioned that it was going to happen.
"Yes." Coulson answers, "We can't keep the plane on the ground for long, not when we are wanted fugitives." He says.
"Maria and I have been talking and were going to privatise what S.H.I.E.L.D was doing, if you lot join you won't be fugitives anymore." Tony tells them.
"I don't know if the private sector is my style." Coulson says to his friend.
"I get that I do, but Phil this is your best option." Tony tells him, "You can do everything you did for S.H.I.E.L.D but just as part of Stark Industries with my resources and protection. You can do what you do best, protect people and you won't have to worry about the Government or anyone else stopping you. That goes for all of you." Tony says looking at everyone else in the room, "Just think about it Phil." Tony tells him, "There is no more S.H.I.E.L.D, so my resources are the best you're going to get."
"Okay." Coulson tells him, slightly hesitant, "But we decide what we do together."
"Agreed." Tony tells him, "Are the rest of you interested?" Tony asks and everyone else nods, "And I'm do whatever it takes to find Skye."
"Thank you." Coulson and Melinda tell him.
"No need, she's family." Tony tells them.
"I hate to be the one to point this out, but how are we going to find someone who knows exactly where we're going to look for her before we do." Clint asks and the group drift into silence no one of them having an answer.
THE END
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